Microsoft doesn’t get backwards compatibility

Link: GamesIndustry.biz
Peter Moore on the Xbox/Xbox 360 backwards compatibility:

"Nobody is concerned anymore about backwards compatibility. We under promised and over delivered on that. It's a very complicated thing… very complex work. I'm just stunned that we have hundreds of games that are backwards compatible," he said.

"Under promised" and "over delivered"? I don't even own an Xbox or a 360 and this bold arrogance infuriates me to no end. Hey, what's this? Why, it's the Xbox 360 backwards compatibility FAQ page:

Our goal remains to get every game to be backward compatible.

Hmmm. Interesting…

Here are some choice quotes from the Evil Avatar thread on this topic.

bapenguin: Wow…the only thing backwards there was his statement. Undelivered and over promised you ass.

swiftdraw: Does he mean no one at Microsoft is concerned, or does he actually think that consumers aren't concerned? And really, which is worse?

Borys: Big corporations lie to consumers? Surprise, surprise!!! Sony is no better than Microsoft and vice versa.

Agreed. Funny how a lot of people keep trying to pin Evil Avatar as some sort of Microsoft/Xbox fanboy site. There sure is a lot of hate and not a whole lot of support in that thread for Microsoft's about-face on this very important topic. I think examples such as these demonstrate that EvAv is less Microsoft fanboy and more anti-stupidity.

CoH Issue 7 active

Link: City of Heroes

Well, it's out now. Issue 7 of CoH/CoV is now available. Unfortunately, this issue largely caters to the villainous side of the game.

Grandville (Levels 40-50, PVE, COV only) – A vertical zone, Grandville contains Spider City, the capital of Arachnos™, where players encounter mutated Arachnoids and a huge new cast of characters including Lord Recluse™ himself!

Recluse’s Victory (Levels 40-50, PVP, COV and COH) – Recluse’s Victory represents the villains’ assault on Paragon City™. Heroes and villains battle for control points, use heavy artillery to their advantage, and watch the zone change dynamically as a result of their efforts.

I deactivated my subscription to CoH a few months ago. I care nothing for villains, so when they decide to finally get back to caring about heroes, I might just pick it back up again. There's a rumor floating around–just a rumor, mind you–that issue 8 may contain the coveted trenchcoats everyone has been asking for. So, I may end up waiting until after issue 9 to get back into the game, once everyone has exhausted every possible spelling of Neo after that one hits.

Wii hardware to store personal profiles

Link: Game|Life

Game|Life is able to exclusively reveal that the Wii hardware will include a feature by which players can create "profiles" of themselves that include not only personal information but a caricature of their face that any Wii game will be able to access and use, as seen in the demonstration of Wii Sports Tennis.

Presumably, this profile storage capability would be attached to the Wii-remote, which would mean you could take your profile with you to a friend's house, and utilize your caricature within their games/system.

Funky.

ATI: Wii Graphics at E3 “Tip of the iceberg”

Link: Evil Avatar

Despite Nintendo's stellar E3 showing with their playing = believing tagline, ATI is honor-bound to combat some of the negative response to the Wii's sub-(next-generation)-par graphics. Since, you know, it's their chipset. However, seeing what Resident Evil 4 accomplished on the GameCube, I have no doubt in my mind that there is much more impressive graphic capability possible with the Wii. But guys, you know the first rule of gaming news. Don't tell us it's great; show us.

Gaming Media Alliance

Link: The Gaming Media Alliance

Now this is an effort I can definitely get behind.

The Gaming Media Alliance is a group devoted to communicating gaming news with the mainstream media accurately.

Our purpose is if and when some gaming related content hits the mainstream news media, the facts and details are not misconstrued in anyway. We will attempt to accurately communicate exactly what is happening with the story in a way the non gaming community can understand.

We have a responsibility and a right as gamers and journalists to show gaming in its true light, and not let it get tossed around and twisted by the mainstream media or those that are simply uninformed.

Nintendo Wii Price Not to Exceed $250

Link: Evil Avatar

I’m all for cheap consoles. In fact, not only am I for them, I’m exclusively for them. I have neither the funds nor the time to support expensive habits. I want my entertainment cheap and quick.

So hearing that the Wii will not cost more than $250, is good news. Even better news? Combining this official statement from Nintendo with the knowledge that no Nintendo system has ever launched at more than $199.99.

Then, take into consideration the rampant speculation taking place regarding the Wii’s potential launch on October 24th, six days before my birthday. And you likely have an idea of how I’m feeling right now.

That’s right. I’m giddy.

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

Coogle Galendar

Link: Google Calendar

Heavens above, I’ve been waiting a long time for this. I’m a self-proclaimed Google-whore, I won’t hide it, but I’ve been holding out for a quality internet-based calendar that I could share with my friends that isn’t a monstrosity to manage. I used the damnable Hotmail calendar for a little while, but since my Hotmail email account is simply filled with worthless SPAM messages, and nothing more, I haven’t logged into it in months. But a calendar, built with AJAX, and connected to my Gmail? That’s something I can get definitely behind. You can adjust dates and times dynamically on the calendar surface. It even gives you a public XML address that you can share with friends, so you can all view your events in an RSS feed reader. Fantastic. I’m still playing with the features, and I’ll let you know what my final verdict is on the software. In the meantime, I encourage you to go get your own.

Nintendo Revolution Monday Morning News Roundup

I hate roundups with a passion. However, there’s so much exciting news coming out regarding the Nintendo Revolution, I can’t help but make sure you’re aware of it.